Come and see the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece!

Come and see the restoration of the
Ghent Altarpiece!
‘The Ghent altarpiece is without a doubt the world’s most besieged and coveted artwork.
In Paris it would easily knock the Mona Lisa off the throne.’
Noah Charney, art historian
This majestic altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers is considered the absolute masterpiece of medieval
painting, featuring some jaw-dropping details. It survived the Protestant iconoclasm, fell into French
hands under Napoleon and was requisitioned by Nazi Germany during WWII. ‘The Just Judges’ panel,
stolen in 1934, is still missing.
The restoration of ‘The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb’, the absolute masterpiece by the Van Eyck
brothers, started in September 2012. So what better time to come and visit Ghent to discover this triptych and its fascinating history?
The thorough restoration is being carried out by “Koninklijk Instituut voor het Kunstpatrimonium (KIK) “.
The Cathedral, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Carmelite Friary are joining forces to tell the story of
this masterpiece during its restoration.
Two thirds of the original work will, as usual, still be displayed at St Bavo’s Cathedral. The missing panels
will be replaced by black-and-white replicas. You can visit the masterpiece with a guide or with a
personal audioguide available in Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese.
On http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/ you can admire
the work of art at close range and zoom in on all the
details.
The actual restoration is being carried out at the
Museum of Fine Arts, where four restorers are
working on the panels during the day. When they are
not working on them, the panels are displayed as close
as possible to a glass wall, so that the public can admire
them .
Last but not least, the Carmelite Friary is hosting a
permanent exhibition on the painting techniques used
for the Ghent Altarpiece, as well as its symbolism.
The exhibition also includes a temporary exhibition as
well as an information video showing the current stage
in the restoration process.
Visitors admiring the life-sized copy in the Vijd Chapel
© Toerisme Gent
© Lukas—Art in Flanders vzw
© Belga
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Following a visit to the original masterpiece guides can give additional information on the Ghent Altarpiece near the replica, which is stored at the Vijd Chapel. However, the Vijd Chapel can only be accessed
with a ticket to the Ghent Altarpiece.
Price: 4 euro (incl. individual audioguide) or 3 euro (for groups of min. 15 persons, individual audioguide
= 1 euro).
The CityCard Gent includes access to St Bavo’s Cathedral, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Carmelite
Friary.
 30 euro (CityCard Gent - 48 hours, for individual visitors), 35 euro (CityCard Gent - 72 hours, for
individual visitors).
 Tourism professionals benefit from a discount of 4 euro per CityCard Gent when ordered from the Visit
Gent Press and Trade department at pers-trade@stad.gent
OTHER FORMULAS
 Combined ticket Cathedral/Museum of Fine Arts/Carmelite Friary: 12 euro (available at the venues from
01/05/2014).
 Exhibition on the Ghent Altarpiece at the Carmelite Friary: 2 euro
 Visit to the Museum of Fine Arts: 8 euro (individual visitors), 6 euro (groups of min. 15 persons), 2 euro
(19>25 years), free (-19 years).
CONTACT
For more information feel free to contact the Visit Gent Press
and Trade department at pers-trade@stad.gent
 +32 9 266 55 82